Paden, William
PADEN, Jr., William Reynolds
William Reynolds Paden, Jr. "Bill" of Marietta, beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend to many, passed away on December 23, 2022. He was 86 years old.
A native of Clemson, South Carolina, Bill was born July 3, 1936, to the late Ernestine Cloud Paden and William Reynolds Paden. He had a wonderful life growing up in Clemson and attended Clemson College (now University) where his father was a research scientist in the Agronomy Department. While growing up in Clemson, he enjoyed many activities including involvement at the Fort Hill Presbyterian Church. He worked at both the Clemson Dairy and movie theater during his youth years and sold programs at his beloved Tigers' football games.
After graduating from Clemson in 1958 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, he was hired by Lockheed Georgia in Marietta, where he had a long and distinguished engineering career as a flight controls/cockpit engineer. He was the design lead for the flight station for the C-5 and C-27J programs, and program manager at the end of the C-141 program. As a manager, Bill headed many important projects including pioneering the glass cockpit through Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) studies. He also represented Lockheed in dealing with foreign defense departments and contractors. Bill was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Marietta, after joining in 1958, where he served as an elder, deacon, choir member, and a member and chair of numerous committees. Bill was an avid outdoorsman enjoying trout fishing in the North Georgia mountains at Tickanetley with his friends. They especially enjoyed riding in the 1942 red Jeep that he rebuilt and maintained. He also enjoyed quail and dove hunting in South Georgia with his friends. Over the years he enjoyed numerous outings to Lake Allatoona with family and friends, including taking his family sailing on a sunfish sailboat he built. A pastime in the 1970s was playing his bass fiddle and singing in The Brakemen, a local bluegrass group. The group performed locally, at Bluegrass festivals and at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.
After his retirement from Lockheed in 1999, Bill was one of the founders of the Aviation History and Technology Center in Marietta and was a major force in establishing and building up the museum. Bill was preceded in death by his wife of 29 years, Lois Reiss Paden; and his brother, Robert Frank Paden. Survivors include his wife of 32 years, Rebecca Nash Paden, Marietta; his daughters, Anne Paden Maassen (Kirk), Marietta, Susan Paden Ikerd (Hunter), Canton; sister, Eugenia Paden Earnhardt (Roger), Raleigh, North Carolina, sister-in-law, Nina Faye Paden, Brevard, NC; grandchildren, Karl William Maassen (Amy) Woodstock, Kenneth Frank Maassen, Marietta, James Mackey Ikerd II, and Grace Lois Ikerd, Canton. Also surviving are a stepson, Russell Donald King (Barbara); and a stepdaughter, Anna King Norris (Christopher), Marietta; step-grandchildren Russell Nash King, Birmingham, Alabama, Branch McGavock King, Atlanta, Zachariah Robert Norris, Rebecca Wright Norris, Marietta; and several cousins and nephews.
Services will be held Wednesday, January 4 at 2 PM at First Presbyterian Church, Marietta preceded by a private burial. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to the First Presbyterian Church, 189 Church St., Marietta, Georgia 30060, or to the Aviation History and Technology Center, 555 Perrin Road, Marietta, Georgia 30060.
